My Story
by insertcleverandwittytitlehere
Summary: Draco Malfoy had a rough time growing out of his family and into his own life. Astoria Greengrass was a bit of push in the right direction from the start.
1. Chapter 1

**Author 's Note: This is the only time you will be hearing from me. I have had this story in my head since 2007, when the last Harry Potter book came out. I think that it is high time to share! Let me know what you think... or don't. That's up to you.**

**As you probably know, I did not write this world or these characters. That was the job of the amazing J. K. Rowling. God bless her and her brain. I own nothing.**

* * *

Astoria Greengrass, for what it was worth, thought that her first week at Hogwarts went somewhat smoothly albeit the giant hole in the dormitory wall, an escaped murderer on the prowl, and Dementors stopping the train on the way in. Of course all of these things were out of her hands.

It was her fellow dorm mate Alexandria who had accidentally blown a hole right through the wall. She had attempted to practice a levitations spell that had gone horribly awry, causing her bed to go flying through Ravenclaw tower. A second year, the one that everyone called Looney, had attempted to console Alexandria by telling her it must have been the nargles clouding her judgment.

Professor Flitwick thought otherwise.

Twenty points were taken from Ravenclaw, and Alexandria was told to practice using smaller objects in a controlled environment. Astoria now sat beside Alexandria as her new friend cried from the embarrassment over her dinner plate.

"I feel so stupid. How was I supposed to know that it would follow where my wand went?"

"I really hope you're joking." Bernice Montgomery, another fellow first year chimed in.

Alexandria turned redder than the steamed beets on her plate. Astoria sat up a bit straighter and turned to Bernice. "She most certainly is not, Bernice. Any other snide comments can be made elsewhere, thank you."

"Thanks." Alexandria's whisper was quiet. Astoria nodded at the wispy blonde. She knew it was tough for someone to enter the magical world without any prior knowledge of it. It was difficult to learn the rules and regulations of an entire society unbeknownst in just a matter of days. Astoria knew that it would take Alexandria her full seven years at Hogwarts to understand everything because that's just how it was. There would always be questions. Her father still asked questions….Quidditch what? Why do we have a purple bottle marked "dangerous" in the fridge? There's a strange bird outside the window carrying paper! ….Then again her father was a Muggle. His questions would last his lifetime.

Alexandria would eventually get the hang of it.

"I'm off to the library." Alexandria made to follow, but Astoria laid a hand on her shoulder. "Finish your dinner and try talking to anyone else besides Bernice." And when those words weren't enough, Astoria added, "Relax. I won't be long, and then you and I can have a rematch at chess, savvy?"

The library at Hogwarts made Astoria happier than Christmas dinner at Nana's, because this library held new stories. Her mother, a pureblood wizard, had let her read whatever she got her hands on to for years and years, but never a magic book. Her father had almost had a heart attack when he heard some of the wizarding tales. It was just too much for him.

Astoria had found an alcove in the back of the library, far off on the left side. There was a table built to hold two studying partners facing each other and a cozy chair in the corner with a lantern beside it for solitary reading. Books lined the walls and filled the shelves.

_Yes_, she had thought, this was to be her spot.

But not today. The last person she expected to find in a library was there, sitting in the cozy chair by the lantern. Her hair was pulled back in a low ponytail, black and sleek, her face pale, thin, and sharp. She smiled her half smile, just like Dad's.

"How's it going, Tori?"

The eleven year old rolled her eyes. "I've told you time and time again, it is Astoria. As-tori-a. I loathe this Tori you speak of." She crossed her arms and sat at the table, facing the cozy chair and her sister inside it.

"Yeesh, Astoria, I just wanted to come check up on you. I knew I'd find you here. And not just because you're in Ravenclaw, love." The older girl stood, as thin as her face and just as pretty.

Astoria let her arms fall. "I'm doing just fine, Daphne. But you saw me at dinner. Why didn't you walk on over and ask instead?"

"Because you very well know I can't do that. I mean I could, but I don't want to deal with my housemates if I did so. I want to help you, trust me I do. But I can't publically aid you with anything… like levitating charms."

Astoria almost stood and whacked the smirk growing on Daphne's face. But she refrained, made a note not to be so lenient next time, and turned to open one of the books she had picked out. "That wasn't me and you know it."

"Sure." Daphne went to go, her green and silver paraphernalia catching Astoria's eye. "Just know that at school things need to be different between us. Don't come finding me. Let me get you."

And she was gone.


	2. Chapter 2

It had happened again. It was the third time that week in which Draco Malfoy didn't have the patience to put up with those damn fools he called friends. It was their fault, too, or at least that's what he told himself in order to deny the truth: it was him. He was changing. And so were his views on things.

Like Crabbe and Goyle. Draco was starting to realize they feared him more than they cared about him, and therefore they subdued to him. He could live with that. But he did not like that they also admired him. They wanted to be like him and in doing so they followed him relentlessly. It was annoying. Only he could be the Slytherin "prince," but those buffoons wanted a part of it too. It was hell.

So, unlike his first two years at Hogwarts, Draco Malfoy found himself going to the library—_the library!_—just to escape the people he had known his whole life.

Because, after all, he had known them his whole life. And one thing he knew for sure was that they'd never enter the library without physical threat. He would be safe under Madam Pince's stern librarian hands.

Draco had discovered a quiet spot away from everyone. His new habit had him seated right beneath a lantern, in a corner, that out-looked to anyone and everyone who might pass.

He rounded the last shelf before entering his spot. The burden of Crabbe and Goyle was just starting to lift when he stopped in his tracks. Books were stacked on his chair. A couple stacks littered the floor as well, and the table was filled with more piles. Above it all was a raven-haired girl, her face deep in concentration. She was on a ladder, up at the highest shelf in the tiny alcove, about to pull the last book off the shelf.

Draco felt something boiling inside. This was his escape from utter stupidity and here was this nobody destroying his sanctity. He was most certainly not amused.

But before he could speak, the girl spotted him. Her hand left the spine of the book on the shelf and dropped to the ladder rungs, and her eyes were wide. She was caught redhanded.

"What the bloody devil do you think you are doing, you idiotic girl?"

The girl's face—one he determined to be a first year's, because he had never seen it before—changed. It screamed defiance and… fire.

"Well, pardon me, you over-grown excuse of a worm." She hopped down from the ladder to the floor, gracefully between two stacks of books. She approached him, both thin and a head and a half shorter. "I was simply rearranging the books due to this library's lack of a competent search-and-find system. I was perfectly content within my own space, fixing up my own mess, not hurting anybody. I might very well ask you, you arrogant _boy_, what the bloody devil you think you are doing interrupting me?"

Any other student would have backed down right there and then. But not Draco. He smirked at the little itty bitty first year. Suddenly his voice was cool, like ice. "Do you know who I am?"

"Yes." She said, undeterred. She turned from him, grabbed a pile of books in one hand, and started to climb back up the ladder. With her back to him, she continued. "Why do you think I called you a worm?"

Draco could feel his face go red. But he didn't let on. She was shelving books in her own order.

The ice was in his voice again. "Yes. My robes show I'm a Slytherin. But do you know my name?"

She paused in her stacking and turned her head toward him. "I'll admit that I do not. But I don't see how that matters."

"You don't?" She shook her head. "That's a shame. See, I come from one of the more profound wizarding families. I'm a Malfoy."

Through his whole mini speech, Draco made his way to the bottom of the ladder. She was trapped now, and he could see on her face that she was finally frightened by him. This is what he loved most in his so-called friends. Their fear. He was slightly off-put by how long it took this first year to sense his importance. He longed to go back to those who felt it instantly… back to Crabbe and Goyle. And even Pansy, the dolt.

"You're lucky this time. It's just a warning, you know."

And he was gone, out of the library, and headed for the dungeons.


	3. Chapter 3

She had gotten the books in order. She was a little shaky still and much too angry to make sure it was done properly, but she had gotten the books in the right order for her own standards.

_The nerve of that Malfoy_. Daphne had warned Astoria countless times about the white-haired Slytherin boy in her sister's year. "He's trouble," she'd say. "He'd do anything to make himself look best," she'd say. "He wants you to hate him and fear him, and in return he lets you love him."

That never made any sense, until today. Because Daphne was right. Draco Malfoy did make her hate him. His uncomfortable closeness and his need to be known as the best. She hated him for that reason alone. His namesake and their history meant nothing to her.

She did not intend on fearing him, though. What she knew he'd accept as fear was her turning her mind off to him. A warning? Oh please, it was a warning the other way round. He'd learn that lesson soon enough.

But it still angered her, because Draco Malfoy got to her temper.

* * *

Alexandria was waiting in the common room by a chess board. The pieces looked restless and Alexandria bored. Her previous anger left and was flooded in with guilt.

"Hey, Alex, sorry I'm late. I got to reorganizing books."

"Again?" The blonde squealed. She looked at Astoria and started to laugh.

"What?" She had expected another Malfoy-type argument, insults and anger and all that. Her mind must have been cloudy though… this was Alex afterall.

"I had a friend in the Muggle world. Mimi. She read books constantly. I don't even know how we were friends… I could never tear her from them. Looks like you are my new Mimi." And she was laughing again.

"Ha ha. Quite hilarious." Astoria pulled Alexandria up by the crooks under her arms and pushed her toward the stairs. "But if you don't mind, I prefer Astoria Greengrass to 'my new Mimi,' thank you very much."

* * *

Every night that week, right after dinner, Astoria found herself in her alcove. The books had mysteriously returned to where they were before Astoria had put them all right. At first she thought it was Malfoy, and she was angered by that possibility. But then she saw that Madam Pince used magic to put books on the shelves, and she could only assume that that was how they went back to "normal."

She didn't like it, but she wasn't going to argue with magic.

This night, however, Astoria was frantically working to finish up a Potions essay that Professor Snape assigned last minute to anyone who got the potion wrong. Astoria knew what she was doing. Her mother taught her plenty and more before she was even five. Potions was something that ran in her family—her mother being a Healer and all—but her silly lab partner, a Hufflepuff named Archie, decided it best to add three big spoonfulls of dried snails when the book clearly said a pinch of crushed snail shell.

Parchment paper never felt so annoying before. It wasn't her fault and more likely than not, Archie would surely ask for her essay to copy. Then they'd get caught, and she'd have detention. All because of Archie.

"Almost finished." Astoria told herself. She placed her quill down beside the ink and read what she had written, looking for a perfect close. "Wow… this is really bad."

"Glad to know you can see it too."

Her head whipped around faster than an owl's could. It wasn't the voice that got to her, but the sudden interruption that came with Draco Malfoy. Her work bubble was burst, and now she had an extremely self-worshiping zealot to deal with. Her father's voice rang clear: don't give your enemies the chance to get noticed. Don't give them any kind of day. That only lets them win.

She turned back and continued to read, her back straighter, her head held higher. The essay wasn't too awful, but Astoria knew it wasn't her best work. She supposed the perfectionist inside her was the true Ravenclaw; she never pictured herself smart or wise before she was sorted into her Hogwarts house.

"Come now, girly, let's see it." Her trick had almost worked; her mind was clear of Malfoy and ready to analyze the words in front of her. But he had to insist on being known. He grabbed the parchment from her hand and took the seat across from her.

Astoria wasn't about to yell just yet. If he did something to the document, sure, but reading was harmless. She watched as the Malfoy boy took in her words. His sharp chin and nose, his nearly white eyelashes that covered grey eyes. His lips were thin and held in a scowl. The knit between his brows got tighter and tighter as he read further on. Astoria tried to remember what she wrote, preparing to defend her work. What right has he to judge her last-minute essay?

Malfoy placed it on the table and slid it in front of her. She watched his long fingers slide back across the table and into his lap. His shoulders relaxed, and he leaned back in the chair. "And here I thought I was going to have to tell you to leave."

"You could tell me all you want, but that doesn't mean I would."

And suddenly he was smiling a genuine, lip-only smile. It looked foreign on his face, but it was only short lived. Astoria took the essay and pressed on writing. This strange person was of no use to her, so she would not be of use to him. Whatever his game was, she wasn't playing.

She placed a period at the end of her last sentence and made to start clearing up.

"Whoa!" she felt her body jump from seeing Malfoy still sitting across from her, lounging in his chair and watching. "Why are you still here? Are you really that determined to kick me out of a library?"

She waited a bit for him to answer, and when she got no reply she packed up her things and left, her temper getting the better of her. She didn't notice Draco laughing behind her as she went.


	4. Chapter 4

So that Ravenclaw girl had used words in her essay that he had never heard before. It was no big deal, really. So she didn't respond to his malice and instead tried to match it with wit. So what? It didn't phase him that she looked at him with eyes filled with a wisdom that can only come with age behind them.

But all that had occurred. Draco had one thing on his mind while heading to the library, and that was to get away from Pansy. Girls were not worth his time, especially clingy little twats like that one.

But there she was, the raven-haired Ravenclaw. She was writing faster than he had ever seen anyone do before, still in his spot. And when she mumbled how terrible her essay was, he knew it was time to pounce.

Except it wasn't terrible. It was interesting, even if he didn't' know some of the words she used. Words never seemed as connected as they had when he read that essay. And that was bad to her? His curiosity got the better of him; he wanted to know what good was to her. And because of that he swallowed every insult he had sitting in his brain. She bit her bottom lip slightly when she would get stuck, and she tended to suck in a big breath of air each time she seemed to get a new idea.

Before Draco knew it his little show was over and she was gone. He hadn't spoken a word. He couldn't, really. The only thing he kept asking himself was "so what?" So what if she interested him… so what…

* * *

Alexandria had asked Astoria to help her with her levitation spell. The sun was shining, and Astoria found a stump to perch on. At first she was glad to give pointers to Alexandria, showing her how to use her wand and how to guide her feather around in the air. But soon the wingardium leviosa-ing was a bore to her, and she sat with her head in her hands atop her stump.

She was only half-conscious to Alexandria's squeals of "I think I finally got it!" but when those squeals turned into shrieks, Astoria pulled away from her daydream. A rock the size of a small cantaloupe fell to the earth from ten feet above and straight onto Alexandria's head. The tiny blonde girl crumbled to the ground.

"Oh! I said not to use anything big, Alex!" Astoria stooped down to hold her friend in her arms.

"Oi! Need help?" A sandy haired boy came jogging over to the pair. "I saw what happened. She okay?"

"I don't know. It's most likely a concussion, but I wouldn't know exactly."

The boy, though small, seemed to be able to lift Alexandria off the ground effortlessly. "We'll take her to Madam Pomfrey. It shouldn't be too bad, but a head injury is still a head injury. Even in the magic world."

The boy was faster than she was, but Astoria kept pace as best she could.

"I'm Colin, by the way. Colin Creevey."

"Astoria Greengrass. My friend's Alexandria Price."

Colin smiled and kept walking. Alex seemed to be stirring a bit, and Astoria allowed herself to take a deep breath. That must be a good sign.

The doors of the Hospital Wing flew open to reveal rows of empty beds and one flustered Madam Pomfrey. Astoria tried to hold in a small giggle.

As Madam Pomfrey tended to Alexandria's head, Colin talked about his Muggle father and his first year at Hogwarts. "Though I don't remember too much. I was petrified for a quite bit of it. Dad didn't want me to come back. Oh well, though. I'm here till the end."

"My dad's a Muggle. My mom's a witch though. She works at St. Mungo's. Have you been there?"

"Nope, can't say I have. Though I'd love to see it. I'd love to see everything in the wizarding world! I take pictures for my dad back home. Sometimes I think he doesn't even believe it's all real."

Astoria laughed, "I know that feeling. Dad is always asking questions. I believe my favorite will always be 'Honey, why are the dishes washing themselves?'"

The two laughed. The doors of the wing flew open and in walked Rubeus Hagrid carrying one moaning Draco Malfoy. Astoria felt a quick jolt of panic at seeing the white hair nuzzled in the burley arms of the half-giant, but she couldn't understand why. That boy, injured or not, meant nothing to her. So why was she craning her neck to see?

"What on earth, Hagrid?" Madam Pomfrey left Alexandria's bedside to view Malfoy. Astoria walked over to her groggy friend and tried to ignore the commotion erupting from the hospital bed next door. Colin joined Astoria just as Alexandria woke up.

"I used a rock."

"I saw that. And how do you think that went for you?"

"I think I'd rather use the beds."

The girls smiled at each other. But there was a cry from the bed and all three heads turned.

"It was Buckbeak, my hippogriff. He approached her without bowing. Bad manners he has there. It's no wonder she was on the defense."

"Not now, Hagrid! And Madam Pomfrey shooed him out the door. Upon returning to the boy she sighed, "Now listen, Mr. Malfoy, the fuss you are making isn't nearly worth the trouble. Your injuries are totally manageable and going to be just fine. Quiet down a moment."

She made her way over to Alexandria and gave her a spoonful of green liquid. "There. Just go back to your room and sleep it off. If it still hurts in a week or so come back and see me, alright?"

As they left the room, Astoria couldn't stop herself from looking. Malfoy was watching her, straight faced with narrow eyes. He was watching her, all right. He was staring right at her.

A couple days passed and Alexandria claimed she felt only slightly woozy. Although it wasn't a week, Astoria and their new friend Colin convinced Alex to go to Madam Pomfrey anyways. She was to stay the night for observation.

Astoria saw this as her window of opportunity to visit her alcove in the library. She had been on Alex-duty for the past three days, because Colin thought it best to have someone watching.

But her hopes of a peaceful read were short lived. Because there he was, Draco Malfoy, sitting at the table, facing her.

She was going to leave, but then she saw that he still had on his sling from the other day. Word had gotten out at what really happened. According to the third year Slytherins, he was viciously mauled by the creature. But the rest of the school said he was barely scratched.

Daphne had set the record straight for her: He got the wind knocked out of him and his delicate skin couldn't take the fall. Apparently Pansy Parkinson was so distraught; Daphne had to sit with her as she bawled. "Had to contain my laughter, I did. It was the hardest thing I have ever had the misfortune to do."

So instead of leaving, she took her seat across from Malfoy. "You're pathetic you know."

"Excuse me?"

"You don't need that sling anymore. You barely needed it day one."

"How would you know. You weren't hit by a hippogriff."

"That's true, but I also know you have full control of that arm."

Astoria picked her apple out of her bag and placed it on the table in front of her. Malfoy was about to speak but she startled him by grabbing his "good arm." She picked up the apple and threw it directly at Draco's face. His injured arm, working only for his reflexes swatted the intruding fruit away before it could hit.

"See?" Astoria smirked. She went to get up but Draco pulled her back down into her chair. He leaned forward.

"How did you know?"

"Only you can tell me the truth. Savvy?"

Draco leaned back in his seat. Any form of his evasive and arrogant-self vanished. "I come to the library to get away from the—stressors I have in my life. You?"

"That's not what I meant by telling me the truth."

"I know. But it is the truth to another question you've been thinking about lately."

Astoria let this data sink in. She took a deep breath and matched his truth. "I come here because I prefer solidarity to company. The books hold the key to magic. And I like quiet."

Draco's lips played at a smile again. The sincerity of it all made Astoria feel even more uncomfortable than when he intended to be a pain.

"So we have a deal?"

"What?"

"A deal." He repeated. "We both can come here, stay silent, get away from it all. It's just a work space we share. We'll be civil about it."

Astoria thought about this for a moment. There had to be some catch to it, but she didn't care. She got to keep her alcove. "It's a deal."

And it stayed that way, both of them there, quiet, no words.

But only for a bit.


	5. Chapter 5

**Again, I own nothing. All rights to J. K. Rowling.**

* * *

Sometimes Astoria questioned herself how it ended up this way. There was a deal not to talk. And then things started to happen. _He'd_ show up with nothing to work on and instead suited himself with simple charming tricks. She always made sure she had work or a book or something. Something that would not distract others.

And then… then she didn't have anything to work on. She couldn't even fake it. It was right after the Christmas holidays and the professors were starting fresh on their assignments. There was little homework and paragraphs at most for reading.

So one evening after dinner, Draco Malfoy and Astoria Greengrass sat in their private little area in the library staring at each other awkwardly for about twenty minutes until "Oh this is rubbish. Just speak!" To which Draco laughed a bit and then asked her about her holiday.

It was easy then, talking to him, because it was a familiar story. They went to her maternal grandparents home—the magical ones—and they ate and opened presents. Her Uncle Gilmer threatened to throw himself from the second story window as per usual unless the relatives quieted down. "He's a recluse, you see. Hates everyone. Especially me and Daphne because we're 'young little spawn' and –"

"Daphne?"

"Oh my sister," Astoria started, "Don't you know her…"

And then she realized: he didn't know her last name. Or her sister.

His eyebrows had risen, waiting for her explanation. When she didn't comply he asked anyways, "So Daphne Greengrass is your sister?"

"Don't tell her you know. I mean… It's not like I can trust you, can I?" She let her head drop into her hands. Daphne asked her specifically not to mention their familial relationship, because if it got back to the Slytherins about her Muggle father, she wouldn't fit in anywhere. The rest of the school would ostracize her because she was Slytherin, and her own house would ignore her because of her blood heritage.

But when Astoria braved to look up again, the Malfoy boy simply asked her what happened next. Did her uncle actually throw himself from the window? What came next?

And when it came to his own turn, Draco Malfoy talked with little arrogance. He hated the big party his mother threw each year in which he had to act like he liked those awful people, talk to sticky children who were brats, entertain the kids his own age, and dance with the older ladies.

"My mum's friends. Hags, really."

* * *

Walking back to his dorm felt like a journey. He had stayed back with the Ravenclaw girl—Astoria—until Madam Pince told them to leave. The girl had gathered up her one lone book and then scurried off with a short goodbye.

Astoria. Astoria _Greengrass._ He should've known they were related. They looked so very similar now that he knew. Daphne and Astoria were both thin and angular. Daphne had a much sharper face though. Astoria's was soft, no doubt due to her younger age. Both had long black hair, though Astoria's was much darker. A raven colored Ravenclaw. And Astoria had green eyes… greener than the velvet curtains on his bedpost. Daphne had dull eyes that didn't pop out like her sister's.

But what was he doing now, thinking about these sisters? These half-blood sisters? They meant nothing to him. And this news about Daphne Greengrass was sure to cause a stir. Astoria had looked so upset when she said it, but why did he care?

The sad truth was that he did care.

But he couldn't… could he? Could this girl really make him feel guilt for something he had yet to do? They never spoke before today, not really anyway. He ended up spilling everything on his mind, from his family to his school work to, well, everything. Draco would never talk to Crabbe and Goyle like that… But this girl heard it all.

And, he thought, she didn't intentionally mean to reveal her sister that way. So maybe he didn't intentionally forget a certain fact about one Daphne Greengrass.


	6. Chapter 6

Astoria was ready for summertime. Her first year was filled with enough drama to last the next six years, and she was glad to be rid of it for good. Sirius Black and crazy Dementors aside, she knew she'd miss her friends. Alexandria—once past her initial step into the wizarding world—nearly surpassed Astoria in most of their classes, all but potions, and was definitely a friend to keep. Even Bernice turned out to have her good moments. She just had a sour exterior.

Colin Creevey turned out to be one her closest friends in the end. Though a year older, he, Alex, and Astoria had many fun games to play. They could talk about anything for hours and not get bored or tired.

And then there was Draco. Astoria didn't know what to call him… she talked to him in the same fashion as Colin and Alex. But it was hushed whispers and with an ear always extended to hear if anyone was coming. And even with that, they still hadn't established a real idea of what they were to each other.

Yet, their conversations were scarce; they had a habit of falling silent. Their last meeting in the library was strange. Draco, instead of taking his seat across from her, was walking around and looking at the books. When she asked what he was looking for, he told her he was trying to see the way she had organized them at the beginning of the year. He couldn't quite make out the pattern.

To that point Astoria had forgotten of her failed attempts to fix the disorganized magic books. But for some reason he had remembered…

"They returned to their regular spots overnight." She told him. And that was it for them. No other words would be spoken again, until maybe the next school year. Despite herself, Astoria hoped for more library time in the future.

* * *

"Alright. You look like you're ready to go." Her mother patted her collar down one more time. She was in her healer uniform, because she had work right after she dropped her daughters off. Her dad had chosen to stay home this year. He called the ordeal too overwhelming for him, but he had wished his girls the best and promised to send letters.

"Second year already, Tori? Can't you slow down your growing?" Myrna Greengrass smiled.

"It's Astoria, Mum. Not Tori."

"Fine. Astoria. The name your father gave you. Get going before the train leaves you behind!" She hugged her youngest and then turned her attention to her oldest daughter. Astoria thought better than to wait, lest she embarrass her sister in some way, and was off toward the Hogwart's Express.

All of her friends seemed to love the train ride, but it made her nauseous and like clockwork, about forty minutes into the ride, Astoria was in need of fresh air or a bucket… which ever she reached first.

After a long walk down the length of the Hogwart's Express, she stumbled upon a window that seemed loose, which she then was able to wrestle open a bit more. Her head started to clear and, she began to hear noise again instead of a dull buzz.

Astoria looked up in time to see a tall whip of blonde pass her, followed by two large and round masses.

* * *

"Damn. I left my wand in Potter's compartment. I'll catch up soon." And with that, his bumbling friends kept trekking onward toward the Slytherin compartments. Once out of sight, he turned back to see Astoria with her eyes closed and her head resting on an open window, just as she was when they passed a few moments before.

All summer he couldn't stop himself from thinking about her. Not obsessively or anything like that. But once in a while he'd ask himself what he thought Astoria was up to. How she was doing. If she thought about the library as much as he did.

He felt as pathetic as he knew the entire Weasley family to be.

"Hey." And he regretted opening his mouth almost instantly.

Astoria perked up, startled by his presence. Neither spoke. They didn't know what to say. Draco was used to starting their conversations, but he had almost hoped that Astoria would take the reins here. Maybe one summer wasn't enough to make her brave.

"How was your summer?" He asked, leaning against the wall beside her.

"Fine I suppose. My family spent most of it traveling south to Italy. Some epidemic or another that my mother had to attend to. At least it was warm… How about yours?"

Draco crossed his arms, "Nothing special. Did your family go to the World Cup?"

"No. My family isn't big on Quidditch. Dad still thinks it is some type of disease." She smiled slightly. "Besides, I heard it was quite the ruckus. I assume you went?"

And then he was stuck. He didn't know how to respond. That ruckus she heard about was the Death Eaters… Something his family was very heavily in to. But she couldn't know that, right? "Yes. Father was able to get us pretty good seats, actually."

And then they were silent. Draco passed a few minutes watching the trees pass by outside and then looked back at Astoria's face. She was watching him intently, and her green eyes caught him off-guard. They were quite beautiful when the sun hit them just so…

"Why'd you stop?"

"Huh?" His mind was pulled back to the whole girl and not just her eyes.

"Why'd you come over here? Why'd you stop instead of continuing on with your friends?"

He scratched his nose. "I don't really know."

She nodded and made to leave. Draco didn't understand why he couldn't just let it go and instead called out, "No, wait."

And as she turned he regretted it all again. The deal they made and everything to that point there on the train. But he had stopped her and she was waiting. "Why were you here?"

"Oh, the train makes me ill. I needed the quiet and the fresh air."

"I see… Astoria?"

She cocked her head, "Yes?"

"Will I see you much this year?"

"What do you mean?"

Oh, why was she making this difficult? His patience was starting to wear. "In the library."

"Of course." She smiled. "As long as I see you."

Draco sighed relief as he watched her raven hair shine as it walked away toward her own compartment. What had just happened to him, exactly? He was teasing Weasel-bee one moment and then the next… he was out here. With her.

* * *

Colin was waiting in the compartment when she returned. He and Alex seemed to be comparing Chocolate Frog cards. Archie and Bernice were there too, right where she left them, and then there was another boy… one she had never seen before.

"Heya, Astoria!" Colin had her in a hug before she could question. "How was your summer? Mine was fun, though kind of dull. Magic is so much more fun! Oh! And this is my brother, Dennis."

He practically picked up the younger boy and thrust him into Astoria's arms. Now that she knew who he was, Astoria could clearly see that she was staring at a younger version of Colin. Almost exactly, except Dennis seemed more introverted.

"Two wizards in the family. Can you even believe it, Tori?" Astoria smiled and let that one slide.

HERE

Supper was almost through when Professor Dumbledore hushed the Great Hall. Astoria always admired him, his long beard and his half-moon spectacles. The way he spoke to the mass of students wasn't like all the other professors; he talked to them like equals.

And he was old. That was a good quality. It meant he's seen a lot, been through it, and came out with memories to share.

"It is also my painful duty to inform you that the Inter-House Quidditch Cup will not take place this year."

It seemed as if every single student gasped at the same time, breathing as one furious dragon that had just lost its dinner. No Quidditch? Dumbledore quickly hushed the matter however with a short explanation about a replacement coming in October… What Astoria gathered was that she would be reading on quite a bit more Saturdays now… and that meant the library would be her home. The thought put a smile on her face, although she knew it wasn't _just _the books she was excited for.

Astoria was lost in her thought that she practically missed the next bit of excitement… the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, something about the ceiling, and a tournament.

"This sounds mildly dangerous..." Alexandria stated rather sardonically. Astoria simply nodded and tried her best to remember if she had ever heard mention about the Triwizard Tournament during her youth. And before she knew it, students were sneering and booing around her.

"What?" She turned to Alex. "What happened?"

"Dumbledore was talking about a bunch of rules. Said we have to be over the age of seventeen to enter and everyone's gone mental about it."

"Oh, lovely." She rolled her eyes. "Why would anyone want safety during a tournament. Preposterous, really. I hope we're dismissed soon. I have this strong desire to be—"

"In the library." Alex finished for her.

She couldn't help herself though. Maybe Draco was more like a friend to her than she wanted to admit.


	7. Chapter 7

"Aren't you a bit eager to be back to the books, Mr. Malfoy?" Madam Pince glared down at him. He hated her for thinking he was always up to something. He was just like every other student.

Of course, Draco knew that somewhere down the line his father probably had something to do with her distaste in him. And his first two years at Hogwarts didn't help him any; Draco knew his smarmy git routine had gone a wee bit too far. He had tried to tone it down the past year.

Well, sort of anyways.

"I'm here to research. Which is what a library is for, or didn't you know that?" He turned on his heel, letting his anger take him to where he wanted to be most.

Astoria had yet to arrive. Draco sat down in his spot, his mind still filled with that very afternoon's atrocities.

After the announcement of the Triwizard Tournament, Draco had found himself locked up in his bedroom unable to sort himself out. His father had told him little about it over the summer. What Draco had learned was from overhearing his mother saying how terrible the idea was and that they were children. The idea, however, appealed to Draco. He'd have loved to have that glory. Be in the spotlight for once.

And he knew Astoria would be watching…

Draco shook the thought off, though, calling it unsavory. He recalled that this thought was not his only unsavory moment of the day either. Earlier he had decided it would be a great day to pick on someone when the Daily Prophet fell into his lap like an early present. Mr. Weasley was at it again with his Muggle malfunctions. And boy did Ronald take it badly.

But then somehow the whole think flipped itself. Potter insulted his mother and the next thing Draco knew he was bouncing in the air, and he felt naked. He had never been so happy to see McGonagall in his life.

"Is it true?" Draco was brought back to the library. Before him stood the raven haired Ravenclaw with eyes the color of the green drapes over his bed…

She spoke again. "A ferret? A pure white, fuzzy ferret?"

Draco groaned. "You too? Does everyone have to keep bringing this up? I lived it once already you know." And just like that, Draco's dreams of the Triwizard glory vanished before his eyes, taking his dream of impressing Astoria with it.

But she looked less amused now. She sat down across from him in her spot and gently took his hand in hers. Draco felt his heart beat, a peculiar thing to notice sometimes. They had never touched before. She looked serious and a bit sad.

"I'm sorry. I should have known better." She broke the eye contact, pulled her hand away, and added, "So what are you reading tonight?"

Draco instantly missed the warmth from her hand. He wanted her to stare at him again too. Those eyes…

He looked away as well, not wishing to linger on his thoughts. Instead he looked down at the book. "To be honest, I don't even know. I was waiting… for you."

He detected a slight pink twinge on her cheeks.

"Potter insulted my mother. I aimed to settle it, but he turned away. Moody caught me and then… pure white, fuzzy ferret."

Astoria nodded. They sat in silence for a long while. Then Astoria stood up. "You know, the worst thing you can do to a person is insult their family. I would probably do the same thing. Although, I believe I'd be more of a dirty, black ferret."

Draco smiled. "I wouldn't say dirty." And that was the end of that.


	8. Chapter 8

"How did he do it?" Bernice whined as they entered the Ravenclaw common room. They had just come from the Great Hall in which the Goblet of Fire had announced four champions instead of only three. The fourth being the famous Harry Potter.

"Don't really know." Alex commented. "Maybe he had an older student do it?"

"It was the work of a blibbering humdinger for sure." Looney Lovegood stated matter-of-fact like as she passed them. Astoria couldn't help but giggle beneath her hand at the absurdity. Bernice turned to her, waiting to hear what she'd have to say about the whole matter.

"Well, think about it. He looked petrified when he walked up to Dumbledore. I bet the cup tuned in to his already famous story and decided that he could handle it. He didn't want his name in there." But when Bernice simply stared at her, Astoria added. "He didn't! You saw his face too."

Astoria found herself trying to defend her theory again later that evening when Draco brought it up in the library.

"And why do you care so much?" She was laughing outright at his musings. She knew that the two boys didn't get along. She didn't know the exact reason, but then again the rumors she had heard probably rang true.

Draco paused. He had been pacing around the small alcove, waving his hands about in frustration. His voice had cracked a few times with jealousy, and Astoria couldn't help herself from labeling the whole tirade as Draco being somewhat cute.

"I care because—well because…" He sat across from her. His hair was sticking around wildly and his face was flushed. His eyes, though grey, sparkled. Astoria couldn't help thinking he was definitely much more than cute.

"I care because it's _Potter_, for Merlin's sake!"

"But why? Who is he to you?"

"He's…" but he stopped short because Astoria burst into another fit of giggles. "What?"

She couldn't help it though. This whole thing was ridiculous to say the least and if Harry Potter Boy Wonder chose to get killed, so be it. Astoria told Draco this. She watched as the smile played at his lips, though he seemed desperate to contain his anger fully.

"I suppose you are right. Though, I'm not really liking it either way."

"You are just jealous that _you _couldn't have entered."

Draco perked up a bit in his seat. "Jealous? Me?" And after he saw Astoria's look, he sank back and muttered "Maybe a little."

"Which is strange because this tournament kills children. It's practically barbaric, and our community enjoys it nonetheless. I'd never want to enter." And, thinking that the matter was settled, Astoria opened her book and began to read.

"Never enter? What about the glory and fame?"

"Unimportant things." She looked up. "Oh come on, Draco. That's just silly; risking one's life willingly is not a fair trade-off for fame and glory. I'd rather die an old grannie in my rocker years with dozens of grandchildren who think I'm the greatest witch ever, than die prematurely seeking out a namesake."

"Well…" But he didn't say much else. Astoria smiled to herself as she readied her book for some serious reading. Draco Malfoy, the school's biggest, self-centered prat was clearly befuddled by her. And in being so, she found that he wasn't so awful like everyone else said. He was just a kid trying to fit in like the rest.

* * *

"A ball? What a load of rubbish." Draco scoffed. He was lying on his bed in his room. Crabbe and Goyle were there too, sniggering at his comment. Draco rolled his eyes. It wasn't really that funny. But he continued. "I suspect they want us to find a date as well. And seeing that all the possible partners are all dogs, I see very little hopes here."

And then Crabbe and Goyle were off, laughing hard. Draco rubbed at his eyes this time, holding back his sure to be biting remark to them to shut up and get out. He turned himself onto his side, staring at the curtains, velvety smooth and green…

Perhaps not all the girls at Hogwarts were dogs. Perhaps certain green-eyed and raven haired girls were somewhat beautiful in some ways. In fact they might even enjoy going to a ball…

"Where's Pansy?" Draco sat up suddenly. He didn't even wait for an answer from either Crabbe or Goyle; he went straight out the door and down the stairs. Pansy Parkinson was what his mother would approve of… especially since both their families had it in their minds to have him married off to her in the future.

He found her laughing with the other fourth year girls, Daphne the half-blood included. "Parkinson." He barked. She started at his voice but grew eager when she realized who he was. She was literally at his side in an instant, pulling him by the hand to a secluded area, jabbering about this and that and the other thing. Draco, for all it was worth, held back his snarl and told her in the calmest voice he could muster, "We're going to the Yule Ball. Be ready on time or I'll leave you behind."

Her shrill voice could be heard even through to the outside of the common room, which he was leaving to go relax. Why did he just do that?

* * *

A week had passed since Draco had told Pansy Parkinson that she was to attend the Yule Ball with him. He realized that he would probably never regret anything as much as this, and there was absolutely no way of backing out now. No one else was good enough. At least Pansy listened to his every word without cause.

The ball, however, was coming faster than he anticipated, and, if Draco was honest with himself, he'd much rather go home.

He entered the Great Hall for breakfast. Crabbe and Goyle were seated beside Blaise Zabini, and—of course—Pansy Parkinson. Draco rolled his eyes at the unpleasant display, but put on his normal air of not giving a damn. Placing himself on the left of Crabbe, Draco watched expectantly for his plate to appear. When it did, he filled it with oatmeal. He wasn't in the mood for staying long and oatmeal was an easy dish to eat at scarily fast rates.

"Draco! I got my dress robes today. Mother says I'll be the prettiest in the whole school. Don't you agree?" He nodded, keeping his eyes focused on the oatmeal in front of him. He couldn't look up for two reasons: one, he'd probably have laughed at Pansy right in her face, and two, his eyes would betray him and then seek out the _true _prettiest in the room. And that was potentially dangerous.

Draco had not seen Astoria Greengrass for nearly a month. Not since stupid Harry Potter became champion. Draco had found himself too busy to get to the library. It was times like these, however, that he wished he could simply walk over to her and say hello, but that was also potentially dangerous. She wasn't a Gryfindor at least, but she wasn't what was expected of him either.

Yet he looked up; his eyes searched the Ravenclaw table for that raven hair. She was talking animatedly to that mousy girl she was always with. He felt a pang of jealousy that that girl could hear all her excitement, and he was stuck here with Pansy.

Draco shook his head, hoping to clear away some of the muddle that was growing inside his brain. He turned back to his oatmeal, but it didn't last long. His eyes found her out again. He watched her mouth the word "study" to the other girl. Astoria rose from her seat. Draco nearly knocked himself over mirroring her action.

"What are you doing, Draco? You just got here!" Pansy whined after him. He didn't care; his legs had him out of the Great Hall before he could think about what he was doing. He wanted to be at the library first.

* * *

Astoria had one examination to worry about: potions. Professor Snape hadn't actually said they would have one, but Astoria sensed that they might, because they had been brewing forgetfulness potion the past two weeks, trying to get it right. She figured that in her next lesson Snape would leave it to each student to try on their own.

It was Saturday, and though she wanted a good grade, she wanted alone time. All of the other students from other schools were driving her bonkers: the Beauxbaton girls would laugh at her dress and hair, like they knew fashion best, and the Drumstrang boys were cold in demeanor.

When she got to her nook, Astoria saw a blonde figure looking at the book shelf, head cocked to one side, reading the titles.

"Fancy seeing you here, Mr. Malfoy." She couldn't help but smile. She had just seen him in the Great Hall eating his breakfast. How did he get here too?

Draco turned and joined Astoria at the table. His smile was so genuine it made Astoria laugh. When he asked her what happened, she laughed harder.

"What? What is it?" He sounded excited; he wanted in on her joke.

When she collected herself she replied, "It's nothing, really. Where have you been these past couple of weeks? I was actually starting to miss you."

"Oh really now? I mean everyone does at some point or another." He sat back in his seat, his blonde hairs falling in front of his eyes. "I've been loathing the Yule Ball. Isn't everybody?"

"Not me. Can't go."

"No one asked you?" His eyes opened wider, showing their silvery grey hues.

Astoria smiled despite herself. "Nope. I'm just a second year… Although I am thirteen." She said that last part bitterly. When Draco's eyebrows met in the middle, his curiosity peaked, she continued, "My birthday is in September. The twenty-first to be exact. I could be a third year but I wasn't eleven at the start of their term."

"So you could have gone?" He looked disappointed for some reason. But Astoria thought it might just be in her head.

"If I was a third year, and I had a date, then hypothetically yes." She continued. "But, I'm a second year. People think I'm still a child. I don't look like the other, prettier, older girls." She opened her book. This conversation needed to end; it was getting too personal.

But Draco didn't stop, "You are just as pretty as any _older _girl. Quite frankly, some older girls are plain old dogs." She looked up at him. He was looking anywhere but her, blushing all the while. Then he mumbled out loud, "I'd go with you to the ball."

Silence. Astoria didn't know what to think, and Draco looked like a cherry covered in snow. She didn't want to see him so flustered, so she broke the awkwardness, slicing through the tension with her voice. "Aren't you going with Pansy Parkinson?"

"Sadly." She laughed. He continued, "I'd rather be going with someone I like. A really good friend, like, well like you. Pansy is such a pain."

Astoria felt her heart quicken at his words, but she calmed herself in order to reply, "Well then. How about you owe me a dance?"

His eyes found hers. It was like a promise all its own, one only they could share. He simply said, "Okay." And that was that.


	9. Chapter 9

In the quiet morning hours, Astoria awoke in her bed to find a glee filled Alexandria hovering over her. Soon, the morning hours were not so quiet.

"Ahhh! What are you doing!?"

Alexandria's eyes widened and her smile fell into a thin line of terror. "Oh no, I didn't realize I'd scare you!"

Bernice, Valeria, and Clavelle were up as well now. The former two were slowly waking up, but the latter was in a frenzy, her wand at the ready.

"What on earth, you two? That was not okay. I almost stunned you both!"

"Sorry!" Alexandria said. "It's just… it's snowing!"

The five second year Ravenclaw girls rushed to the only window in their room. They didn't always get along, but this was something that held a special place for them all. Last year, they had snuck out together during the first snowfall to build a snowman. Luckily only Hagrid had spotted them and requested they head back to their rooms due to Sirius Black's lurking.

Astoria wanted a do-over. Soon her boots were on, followed by a coat. This time, however, only Alex wanted to come.

"Fine," she told the other girls. "Just know you are missing out!"

* * *

Astoria and Alex were gazing up at the rising sun. They had built a snowman each, had a mini snowball fight, and landed on the ground making snow angels, unable to get back up from exhaustion.

"Do you think anyone'll miss us at breakfast?"

"You think it's breakfast time? Well, I suppose it is; look at where the sun is." Her own hand extended to the heavens. An owl flew by then, overhead, and Astoria let gravity pull her arm back down to the soft layer of snow. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. The world was at peace, back to the quiet morning hours and the—

"OUCH!" her eyes flew open and she sat up. Beside her stood the owl, his leg extended to her with a note attached. It had nipped her ear to get her attention, and she felt the hot sting of blood dripping down it.

"Who's this cute little fella?" Alex had rolled over.

Astoria shook her head. She had never seen this bird before in her life. She gently removed the note. It was addressed to her sister.

"It's a letter from St. Mungo's…" Astoria noted the letterhead. Her eyes quickly scanned the page. "It's my uncle. He's had a heart attack…"

"Astoria, I'm so sorry, I—"

"I have to go find, Daphne." And she was on the move, back to the castle and about to break her sister's most precious rule.

But it didn't matter. This was far too serious a matter to have some stupid rule. It was a Saturday morning, quite early, which meant the older Greengrass would still be in her bed. The Slytherin common room was down in what the school called the dungeons. Astoria would just have to wait outside until her sister went for breakfast.

After sitting for ten minutes, waiting for her sister's arrival, Astoria lost it. Uncle Gilmer was in trouble, and she couldn't sit with the weight of it anymore. She walked right up to where the wall was to the Slytherin common room and began pounding on it with her fists. The letter remained clutched in her left hand.

"Oi! Someone come and let me in! Family emergency and whatnot!" She emphasized each word with a firm bang against the wall. "Please! I'm desperate. I need to get in."

"Who are you?"

Astoria turned around and was face to face with none other than Pansy Parkinson, a girl she had known from afar and from stories that both Daphne and Draco had told her. And none were good.

"I'm waiting." The older girl put a hand on her hip.

"I needed to speak to someone." Astoria began. "A Daphne Greengrass. She took my…toy"

Why was lying so hard for her sometimes? Pansy stared at her with dull brown eyes. She was shorter than Astoria had thought, and her blonde hairs were a lot more unkempt than she would have imagined. The older girl's face seemed to be pushed in, like a pug's. Astoria bit her lip, to hide the laughter.

"Ugh. Stupid Rvenclaw. Get out of my way." Pansy grabbed Astoria by the collar of her coat and pushed her to the side.

"So you aren't going to get her for me?" Astoria pleaded, the note burning into her hand like a sick reminder.

"Don't talk to me. I have better things to worry about than puny little—" She stopped midsentence only to fluff up her hair. Astoria looked to where Pansy had just begun to stare. It was Draco, stepping out of the common room. For good measure, Pansy pushed Astoria again, this time sending her to the floor.

"Draco, darling!"

Astoria rubbed her elbow, which now stung worse than the nip on her ear.

* * *

There was something different about that morning, and Draco couldn't quite put a finger on it. When he moved the drapes from around his bed, he could feel the solid cold hit him like a wall. It must have snowed.

He wouldn't know for sure until he was in the Great Hall. He slowly pulled his shoes on so as not to wake either Crabbe or Goyle. It was probably around seven, which meant Pansy would be returning soon from breakfast. If he was lucky, he'd just miss her returning.

Draco paused as he left, his fingers grazing over his transfiguration book. Perhaps after dining, he could work ahead in the library. His hand retracted back ever so slightly. Why did he keep finding ways to be around her? She was only some girl a year younger than him whom he had promised a dance to.

His hand clutched the book tight.

For a moment, it sounded like someone was hammering something inside the common room. There was a constant _bang, bang, bang_. Almost every Slytherin was glancing around, confused.

"I wonder what that is." Blaise Zabini said aloud for Draco to hear.

"Probably the school collapsing down on itself. Merlin knows how old and decrepit this building is. It probably won't make it to your final year." Blaise smiled at Draco's attempt at humor. And then the banging stopped. Once again, the Slytherin common room was filled with turning heads and anxious glances. "Or maybe it will make it. I guess we will see."

He stepped past the wall and into the corridor only to be caught up in a whirlwind of Pansy.

However, she wasn't talking to him. She was pushing a thin girl with long, raven hair and—

Draco sucked in a deep breath, causing Pansy to pause in her degrading comment and instead focus on him. Draco watched as Pansy knocked Astoria to the floor. He felt a surge of anger push through him, right down to his feet. He wanted to kick her.

"Draco, darling!" Pansy sauntered over to him. She was about to put her arms around him, but he backed away.

"What is wrong with you, you stupid girl?" He spat. He walked over to Astoria to help her up. It took a moment before she took his extended hand with her free hand. Draco noticed a letter crumpled in the other.

"What's wrong with me?" Pansy repeated. "What's wrong with you?"

"Go back inside and brush your hair or something." He said over his shoulder. Pansy kept talking but he didn't care. He was watching Astoria brush herself off. A glimpse of bright red caught his eye. He instinctively reached out and pushed back her hair to reveal a small cut on her ear that had bled before. Now it was lined with crimson lines.

"Draco!"

"What?!" He turned around.

She was watching him with abject horror. "Are you even listening to me?"

It was only then that he realized what he had done. Very calmly he took a breath. "Pansy, clearly this Ravenclaw has some reason for being in front of our common room. Perhaps we should treat her with some respect, since Snape could be lurking around any corner. Do you want to be the reason we lose house points?"

"I—" Her shoulders sank. "Of course not."

"Well then. Go fix your face or whatever it is that you end up doing most of the time."

Once she left, Draco turned back to Astoria. He placed his hand around her wrist and led her to a corner by a statue.

"Are you okay?" He asked her. "What are you doing here?"

She looked right into his eyes, which sent his heart into his throat. Her mouth opened, but no words came. Tears began to form.

"What? What is it?" He put his transfiguration book in the statue's hands, and then placed both of his on Astoria's shoulders. He wanted to do anything in that moment to make her smile instead of cry. He also wanted to know where the blood was from and if she was in danger.

"Daphne." She whispered.

He promised her he'd be right back. Inside the common room, Draco paused for a moment. What was he doing? He was a Malfoy. Pureblood and intelligent. A Slytherin who should only be taking care of his own.

But, wasn't Daphne a Slytherin too? He should be doing this for her, because they were Slytherin's. Yes, that was it. He was helping a Slytherin; not a crush.

He stopped again. Crush? It couldn't possibly be. He had only thought about her a little bit each day… hardly a crush. Astoria was just a simple girl, with beautiful eyes that were at that moment filled with tears and… and he was losing focus.

"Daphne, a word?" He said to the girl lounging on the green couches, her own transfiguration book in her hands.

"What'dya want, Malfoy?" She didn't even look up.

Draco leaned down to whisper into her ear. "You sister is waiting outside for you. It sounds urgent."

The girl's demeanor quickly changed. She was out the passage before Draco was standing upright again. He exited after Daphne, only to overhear, "I told you never to seek me out, Tori! This isn't a game here."

"Daphey, please listen to me."

"No! I told you no, and yet you didn't listen why should I listen to you?"

"Uncle Gilmer is at St. Mungo's, for starters!" Astoria yelled. "But, naturally, you wouldn't want to hear about that from your cruddy sister. Too ashamed to be near me! Sorry I got put in Ravenclaw! Smite me for having a brain in my head, why don't'cha."

"What?" Daphne asked.

"He's had a heart attack." Astoria handed Daphne the letter. Draco stared at the sisters, so very similar in so many ways, and yet so very different. Long black hair, two different shades, but still. They were thin and sharp featured. Practically twins. Daphne was paler though, and Astoria had those green, green eyes.

He never talked to Daphne much. In fact, most of their exchanges were rude and sarcastic. Now he was watching her break down, and he felt a small bit of sympathy for her. Very small, really, but it was still there.

Astoria seemed more composed than before. She put her arms around her sister. They were even the same height. Soon her eyes landed back on him. "Draco…"

She pulled away from her sister and closed the distance between herself and him. Astoria's arms were around his neck as she whispered a quick thank you. Then she and Daphne were off down the hall, probably to find a professor to get them permission to visit their uncle.

Draco instantly regretted not hugging her back. Yes, it was definitely a crush, and he wasn't planning on giving it up just yet.


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Note: This story is turning out to be much longer than anticipated, and I just want to thank everyone who is reading. **

**I own nothing. This is all made possible by J. K. Rowling.**

* * *

"How are things?" He asked tentatively. He hadn't seen Astoria since the day she came to his common room in tears. It was a couple days until the Christmas holiday, and for some reason he was worried she would be gone.

In the library, Astoria was seated in the comfy reading chair writing a letter. She smiled. "Uncle Gilmer is doing better than my family ever hoped. I'm writing Mum now, letting her know that Daphne and I decided to stay at Hogwarts during the holidays. Make things easier back home and all that."

Draco nodded. Astoria continued. "I also sent Uncle Gilmer a letter, telling him to feel better. He sent back a patch of gauze. That man sometimes. I don't think he knows up from down."

Suddenly there was a crash of books. Draco turned to see Daphne Greengrass smiling at the two sheepishly. She stooped down to pick up the pile she had dropped. Draco reached over out of his seat and helped, causing Daphne to pause for a moment before continuing.

"Um, mind if I sit with my sister for a bit?" Daphne asked him quietly.

"He was already here, Daphey." Astoria chimed in. "He's not leaving just because you want to be sisterly."

"I didn't say he had to go, Tori."

"Astoria."

"Sure. Whatever." And with that Daphne took her place at the table opposite Draco. "Listen, what you did was fine and all, Tori, but you can't do that again."

Astoria carefully folded the parchment and put it in her pocket. "Two things, Daphne. First, my name is Astoria. Second, I am your sister. And if you want to act like I don't exist, than fine, I'll go along with it, because I actually love you. But if this is the case, then you don't get to find me either."

She packed up her things and added on her way out, "It was nice talking with you, Draco. Thanks for caring."

Draco felt the urge to call after her. He wanted Daphne to leave more than anything, but he was stuck. The older Greengrass girl was staring at him now, her eyes intent to kill.

"You know my secret. Why haven't you ruined me yet?"

Typical dumb girl. "I have something over you, you ninny. So I suggest you stay in my good graces or I will say something."

Daphne's eyes grew wide. But only for a second, until she composed herself. "Fine." She said. "But if you so dare harm my sister, I will kill you. I'm not in Slytherin, because green looks great on me. I will end you."

She left him alone at his spot in the library. Draco sat back in his chair, running his fingers through his hair. He didn't doubt Daphne's threats, but he also wasn't scared. He wasn't plnning on hurting anybody, especially not Astoria. Daphne's secret was safe with him, because he couldn't even dream about harming Astoria. She was something else to him… not just beautiful and intelligent. She was slowly becoming a better friend to him than any other human being he had ever known.


	11. Chapter 11

It was the day of the Yule Ball, and Astoria was actually excited. Dennis and Colin Creevey had asked if she and Alex would like to go down to the Quidditch pitch to see what was in store for the first through third years, and, knowing that they didn't have a chance of getting into the ball, the girls accepted.

"It's going to be so fun, Astoria." Alex beamed. "Colin says that there will be music and decorations, like the ball. And who knows? Maybe some dancing to go along with it!"

"I just hope that the food is good. I heard Professor Flitwick is in charge of all that." Astoria placed her knit cap on her head and her snow boots on her feet. Within second the girls were out of the Ravenclaw tower and waiting in front of the portrait of the Fat Lady like Colin had said.

Moments later, the Creevey boys were stepping out of the hole in the wall, and the four made their way down to the Quidditch field.

"Oh wow!" Dennis cried. Astoria agreed; the pitch was beautiful. The snow had been magically melted away to make room for rows of tents. Under each pavilion were games and food and all sorts of entertainment. The whole place was lined with streamers, magically suspended in the air, and there were pits of fire to stand b and keep warm. It all reminded Astoria of a Muggle carnival without the silly rides.

She took a moment to realize that her three friends were all from Muggle families, and they too were probably comparing the sights to a carnival.

She turned to Alex. "This is what I call a winter wonderland."

"It's so… magical." Alex said. And she and Colin were off to go bob for apples while Dennis asked Astoria to take his picture in front of the fire.

"This is unbelievable!"

The hours passed on, and in their time there, the four of them had eaten, danced, and sang a few carols. Astoria had spotted Professor McGonagall and thanked her for putting together something for the younger students.

"It means a lot to us, and I just wanted to thank you." She had said. The older woman had smiled and squeezed Astoria's shoulder like a grandmother might.

Ten o'clock was the end of their festivities. As they walked back to the castle, Astoria stated, "I think I'm going to walk around a bit. I feel so awake"

"I'm going to bed." Alex said. "You have fun, but I am tired out."

"Alright. I'll catch up with you in the morning then!"

* * *

Draco dislodged himself from Pansy's grip. "I'm getting myself a drink. Go bother someone else for a while, will you?"

She began to protest, her ridiculous use of makeup smudging in her efforts to keep him close, but Draco put her arms at her side and walked away. He was not getting a drink, and was, in fact, leaving. Pansy would just have to entertain herself.

The ball had been absolutely brilliant, and he knew he would have enjoyed it more had Pansy been with someone else. He was wandering down a dimly lit corridor decorated for the Christmas holiday, when he decided to sit for a bit. He closed his eyes for a few moments, tired from the long day.

The sounds of footsteps woke him up. He quickly hid behind a statue, fearing pansy had followed him. Oh, why couldn't she get the hint that he did not want her or anything to do with her?

But it wasn't the head of dull blonde wrapped in mauve gowns who walked by him. It was a raven headed girl, lightly dusted in fresh snow. Draco stepped out in front of her, causing the girl to jump back. When Astoria realized it was him, she began to laugh.

"What on earth are you doing back there?"

"Hiding. Isn't it obvious?" He smiled. She was wearing Muggl clothing, something Draco would never have thought would actually look good on someone, but it suited her. "Pansy has been glued to my side since we got to the ball. I needed—"

"Some quiet?"

"Exactly."

"Yeah," Astoria nodded. "Me too." And, as if on cue, the band started playing another song. "So much for that."

Draco laughed along with her. It fell quiet for moment, all except for the music in the background. Draco opened his mouth, but Astoria beat him to it.

"So Pansy… she's not your girlfriend then?"

He stared at her for a moment. Why did she want to know _that_? "Um, no. Never was and never will be. Mother just wants us to marry one day for the sake of Purebloods everywhere."

He swallowed. Was that the wrong thing to say? He felt almost certain that it was. "However," he pushed on, "I don't want to be with her for her blood status or otherwise…"

He was digging a hole now, and he knew it. Draco's mouth kept going nonetheless. "I mean, blood status really doesn't mean anything right? Pansy's annoying. I left the ball because of that, right, and I left, because my feet hurt. Mother sent these awful shoes."

"That's too bad." Astoria finally spoke. She had this look in her green eyes, amused and teasing. Draco felt his shoulders relaxing. "I remember saying that you owed me a dance."

His whole body tensed up. "R-right now?"

"There's music, you are in your dress robes still. What better time than now?"

"Unless," he smirked. He composed himself. "Unless you've changed your mind."

His hand extended out to her.

HERE

Changed her mind. How silly. Astoria took Draco's hand and stepped into him. He was about a head taller than she was, and he smelled like pine wood. He was quite dapper in his ball robes, and when he had exited from behind the statue, she had almost thought that Fred Astaire had stepped out. (Her father did love those old black and white movies.)

At first the new closeness to Draco felt awkward. Astoria felt the rush of panic sweep over her, but he held her steady and soon the dance felt natural. Like she belonged there. Astoria lifted her face to see his, and she noticed the air catch in Draco's throat. Her heart began beating fast enough that she felt it moving inside her chest.

She smiled. Draco's pale cheeks turned pink. She had never taken note of just how handsome his features were… angular and skinny, sure, but still attractive. His eyes were grey, like a winter storm. His hair was practically white as well. He was tall. His smile was sweet and a bit alluring.

He was leaning down to kiss her.

Astoria took a step back, afraid of what was happening. Draco was supposed to be some swarmy git who no one liked to be around. Not her friend, and certainly not her boyfriend. She wasn't supposed to be talking to him, and she definitely shouldn't be kissing him.

Draco's face was stone cold now. But she could see the hurting in his eyes. Astoria felt an overwhelming desire to hug him close to her. She wanted nothing more than to tell him that she too wanted to kiss him and was disappointed.

Instead she turned away from him, ashamed. "I'm sorry." She whispered. Then she ran.


	12. Chapter 12

Her lips crashed into his, and Astoria knew in that moment she had made a huge mistake.

Colin stepped back from her, his eyes wide. He didn't look happy. He also didn't look sad, just surprised and a bit worried.

"Oh my God. I take it back… I'm so sorry, Colin." A lump rose in her throat, and tears stung at her eyes.

"Why don't you come in?" Colin pushed the portrait of the Fat Lady open more to let Astoria into the Gryfindor common room. They sat down together on the red sofas by the fire. Astoria was overwhelmed by the gold and red decorations. She started to cry immediately.

After she left Draco standing in the corridor alone, her mind raced to where she could go. Alex was in bed and Daphne was out of the question. The only person who had been a good friend to her was Colin. She had begged the Fat Lady to get him immediately, and while she waited, she had played over the dance with Draco in her head over and over.

It was sweet. No it was special. It was… indescribable. She should have kissed him. Yes. That's it. No, wait, she shouldn't. She did the right thing… She probably broke his heart. And her own.

Then she knew. Astoria Greengrass felt more than friendship for Draco Malfoy. And then she wanted nothing more than to kiss him.

Which is when Colin stepped out, and she threw herself at him, lips first.

"Do you wanna talk about something, Astoria?" Colin tentatively asked.

Her heart felt heavy, and she knew he needed an explanation. So she told him everything. The library, the budding friendship, the almost kiss… she told Colin every detail she could about her growing feelings of one Draco Malfoy.

"And I panicked. And I ran. And then I kissed you, and I am so, so sorry, Colin. I don't think of you that way at all and—"

"Relax, Astoria!" Colin smiled. "This never happened, okay? We never kissed. I don't know what you are talking about at all."

"But, Colin!"

"No buts. Never happened, okay?"

She hugged him then, avoiding any facial contact. "Thank you."

When they pulled apart, Colin took her hands. "Now this whole thing with Malfoy… are you sure?"

She paused for a moment, taking in Colin's round face and concerned brown eyes. This was the face of a trustworthy friend, someone who mattered to her in a very important way. But when she thought of Draco, with his tight, pale skin and stormy eyes, she knew.

"Absolutely." She answered Colin.

"That's big, Astoria. Real big." She was about to protest Colin's doubts, but held a finger up to silence her. "But I respect you and your choices. I think you are going to need to talk to him as soon as you can. I have a feeling he won't be so kind, but if he does like you like that, I've no doubt he will talk to you eventually."

"He looked so miserable, Colin. He's going to ignore me for a while. And it's not like I can just march up to him a plant one on him."

"Although you are good at that." He nudged her in the shoulder.

"Shut it." Astoria smirked. "This is going to be a long, cold wait."

The portrait hole swung open, and two very loud students stepped in. They were having a row, one that did not look like either was winning much of anything. Colin leaned over to Astoria and whispered. "You see these two? Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. They are always fighting, yet they're always friends. Why? Because they love each other. Draco will talk to you again. Don't you worry."

Hermione stormed off then, after telling the poor, befuddled red head to ask her out. He didn't seem to understand the girl's remarks. Astoria found herself laughing a bit at his misfortune. Colin was right about them, so maybe he'd be right about the other things too.

Astoria vowed to be in the library, waiting.

* * *

She had smelled like vanilla and she was in his arms and he wanted to kiss her and she smiled and he went for it and, and, and…

And she was gone.

Draco walked back to his dorm room where he peeled off his lousy shoes, hexed Goyle for trying to talk to him, and slipped under his green sheets. He remained awake until the morning hours. He wanted to be mad at her, but couldn't find a good enough excuse.

If the roles had been reversed, if her family was filled with stuck up wizards and witches, he would have pulled away from her too. Astoria was smart; his father would never in a million years allow him to be with a girl who came from a half Muggle family.

But as the term started up again and Draco saw less and less of the raven haired girl, he grew more upset. He would see couples walking down the hall, and he would want to be a part of them. He wanted Astoria at his side. She was wonderful. But she did not want him like that. Draco had crossed an invisible line, and now he was left without her even as a friend.

He avoided the library. Better to forget any of that ever happened than to talk about it. Weakness was not something he had. He would forget about that girl one way or another.


	13. Chapter 13

It was February 24. The four Triwizard contestants were already in the water, and Astoria was staring at the back of Draco's head.

Colin nudged her. "Go talk to him. You've waited long enough."

"I can't so stop pushing." She was irritated. Every day Colin would ask her how her whole relationship thing was going, and every day she had nothing to show for it. Just another day alone in the library.

"Fine then." Colin said. Before Astoria could stop him, he had tapped the older boy on the shoulder. Draco turned around, glaring at the two.

"What do you want?" He barked. He didn't even look at Astoria. She knew that this was the Malfoy façade he played at. She knew he wanted nothing more than to look powerful over everyone else.

Colin spoke as politely as he could. "My friend's got something to say to you. I hope you will listen."

He pushed her forward, and then left. Draco finally looked at her. His tough guy act broke when he met her eyes. Astoria saw the hurt and the anger and the resentment. He turned away to watch as Fleur Delacour resurfaced.

"I know you are mad," Astoria shouted to the back of his head. "You've every right to be."

He didn't move.

"I'm sorry!" She yelled again. Now the other Slytherins were starting to notice her. Draco turned around, too, but not to talk.

"Go away. I will not help you with your silly little problems." He waited until everyone had turned away and slipped back with her. He grabbed her wrist and led her away from the noise.

They walked toward the Forbidden Forest, each silent and no longer touching.

"Draco," she stopped. He turned to face her. "I'm so sorry. I really am."

He looked around, probably checking for extra listeners. When he deemed it clear, he spoke. "Sorry? Sorry that you left me standing there without any explanation? Sorry that you didn't wait to hear me out? Sorry for what, exactly?"

"Everything!" She grabbed his hand. "I like you, Draco. But I was scared, because we've never approached that sort of topic before. Hell, we haven't known each other for that long. I didn't know what to do."

But he was simply staring at her.

* * *

She liked him? Like, how? He wanted to ask, but couldn't. Astoria kept on talking.

"Fine. Be mad. That's fine. I'm not going to waste my time waiting to talk about all of this with you. If you don't want to be with me, then I'm done. I just needed to say I was sorry."

Wait, she was leaving now? He couldn't let that happen again. Draco looked right into her eyes, causing Astoria to stop for a second. He placed his hands on either side of her face, stepped in closer to her, and closed his lips on hers.

If she was going off for good, he might as well get the one thing he had been thinking about since Christmas.

To his surprise, she kissed him right back. Her arms weaved around his neck as his snaked down around her waist, pulling her in closer. It was maddening.

Draco pulled away first. Again they stared at each other, waiting.

"Um... does this mean you forgive me?"

Draco laughed along with her. "I like you, Astoria. But I think you are right about something."

"What's that?" Her voice was much smaller after the kiss. She was smiling ear to ear.

"We don't know that much about each other."

She nodded. He watched her face scrunch up in thought. Finally she said, "Then we should get to know each other. If this is any indication to anything, it's that we need to figure out who we are in relationship to each other."

"Which means?"

"Let's be good friends. We can work toward something more once we know each other better."

And as Astoria walked away from him, Draco felt he could live with that kind of decision. If only for a little while.


	14. Chapter 14

Sometimes he liked to hold her hand under their table in the library. Most of the time they spent there, however, was apart. She would be in the comfy chair, while he was at the table. The next time around, Astoria would place all of her belongings on the wooden surface while he aimlessly scanned the book titles.

Neither one of them ever did work.

Talking. That was it. Words on everything they could think of. Draco learned that she was more inclined to talk about her Muggle life than he wanted to hear at first. He liked her. He really did. But the strange other life she was invested in had turned him off. His parents would never approve of it, and he had been told his whole life to look down on those particular people.

He even said so one day. Astoria had laughed. "Magic is great, Draco, but it isn't everything. Just because we have that ability doesn't make us spectacular. Look at Gandhi or Mother Theresa for instance. _They _are extraordinary! They never needed magic. Just good hearts and determination."

"Who?"

The next day she had brought him a book on that mother lady's life. Astoria transfigured the cover into a Quidditch pitch. She had smiled, "So no one knows you have a Muggle book in your hands."

He read it in three days, and ever since he had been much more open to hearing Astoria's Muggle stories. He was surprised of his desire to meet her father after she explained what his occupation was. Something called a car mechanic.

"What about your family? You rarely mention anything about the Malfoy clan." Astoria teased. They were holding hands under the table. The final Triwizard event was coming up, and the world seemed at piece. Her hand was delicate, but also had a firm grasp.

"My mother is both overbearing and a perfectionist. Father is—" Demanding, cold, angry, strict. _Plotting_. "—quiet."

"Any extended family?"

Draco couldn't look at her. His family was just too medieval for this modern girl. "Mostly imprisoned. Mostly insane."

"So what's time at home like?" Why was she pressing this?

When he did look her in the eyes again, Draco knew that there was no malice behind her questions. They had agreed to talk to one another. They both wanted to be together, and they both wanted to know where their feelings would lead. This was important for all of that.

"Home is quiet. Dull most of the time, but Mother has plenty of get-togethers with Pureblooded families. All of them are awful." He smirked. "Pansy's always around for those. It's wretched."

"Hmph. Pansy. My fiercest competition." She said sarcastically. Ever since the Yule Ball, Pansy had been trying to get Draco to be her boyfriend. He had refused ever one of her advances. The poor girl had even followed him into the library one day, right to their spot in the library, and had the audacity to tell Astoria to leave.

Astoria had simply closed her book and looked the Slytherin girl right in the face and said, "Or what?"

Draco smiled at the memory. "You really have no competition, Astoria. I'm all yours whenever you'd like."

"Cocky, aren't we?" She teased.

He really did enjoy their library sit downs and talks. He just wished Astoria would kiss him again. They were going much slower than he would truly desire.

* * *

"Where do you want to sit?" Colin asked her over the loud cheering of the crowd. "I mean, it really doesn't matter. All we will be watching is a giant hedge wall."

"In that case, go behind Harry's section. I know you are rooting for him." Astoria screamed back.

Colin was right; the view wasn't particularly enthralling. Although, Astoria did notice that she could clearly see into Viktor Krum's cheering stand. Draco was nestled between Crabbe and Goyle. She caught his eye, then, and her heart warmed to see him smile. She nodded back, not giving anything away about their exchange.

Draco wanted it that way: secret. He didn't want others to bother her or bully her. Or at least that was what he said. Astoria knew better. He wasn't necessarily embarrassed, just worried about her blood status and his reputation. And she wasn't going to be a part of that kind of attitude; friendship was enough for her until Draco grew up a bit.

Colin and Alex had already settled into a conversation, so Astoria busied herself with other things. Like staring at a green wall of leaves.

"Bollocks." She muttered, her head falling into her hand. She hoped someone would find the cup fast.

"Look!" A bushy-haired girl in front of her yelled. "Sparks. Someone's in trouble."

The redhead beside her—the one Astoria recognized from the night of the Yule Ball—scowled at the girl. "What, worried it's _Vicky_?"

"Or Harry." She snapped back.

The boy sulked back into his seat. The girl noticed his sudden mood change. "Oh honestly, Ron. Do you think I'd be sitting here with you if I was cheering on Viktor?"

Then the girl rested her head onto his shoulder. Ron turned a violent shade of pink, and Astoria felt a pang of jealousy. Why couldn't Draco just let her openly show him affection like those two?

The sparks, Astoria learned, belonged to Fleur Delacour. She was quite shaken after exiting the maze, but she was in one, beautiful piece still. Astoria chanced a side glance at Draco. He was looking back, and their unspoken realization floored them both. Astoria knew that they were both worried about the other. They were both thinking what if's and what now's.

Colin noticed. "I see things are getting on then?"

"Well," Astoria started, "Not so much. Not yet anyways. Maybe someday soon."

* * *

His father had told him it would be a great night to remember, but he didn't tell him much detail. Now Draco was wishing he hadn't known a damn thing at all. Cedric Diggory was dead, because the Dark Lord was back, and Draco knew his father had something to do with it.

All he could feel was a deep, deep rage burning inside of chest. All his life his father had followed the Dark Lord's might and will, and all his father got from it was a bad reputation and a life-long obsession he had thrust onto his son. Draco wanted none of it.

But it was still his father, and who knew what was going to happen to him after tonight?

"What do we do?" Crabbe asked.

"Waddaya mean?" Goyle responded.

"Well, we gotta join 'em, right? Like our folks and everthin'." Crabbe stood from his bed. Both of them looked to Draco for direction.

Baffoons. "Ask your father's what you should do." He sighed. Become a Death Eater? Were they hit in the head with the wrong charm? He played it off. "I'm not making a move until I am told to."

What was he going to do now?


	15. Chapter 15

**Hello, all, and thanks for all the reads and reviews! Reminder that I own none of this amazing world. It's all J.K.'s business.**

* * *

After Cedric's body appeared on the ground beside Harry's, the crowd went nuts. Colin had grasped her hand tight in his, which made her all the more sick. She had never seen a corpse before. The only funeral she attended was her great grandfather Maurice's, and that had been closed casket.

Somehow the students in the crowd were shuffled back into Hogwarts. They were supposed to be kept in the Great Hall, but Colin pulled her and Alex, along with Dennis, into the Gryffindor common room. They stayed the night, huddled, afraid that all hell would break lose on the castle.

Now she sat with the same people on their way home. The train rattled along its merry way, as if it had no idea it was missing one of its passengers. Cedric would never go home.

Astoria forced in a deep breath. She couldn't understand why she felt so heartbroken over someone she had never met. This was the kind of emotional response she expected from Alex; not herself.

"Astoria?" She looked up. Alex was at the door, buying sweets from the trolley. "You interested in anything?"

She shook her head and turned back to the window, where she placed her forehead. The cool glass enabled her to think. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was back, according to Dumbledore. But according to what she heard from her mother, the Ministry of Magic was not sold.

On top of that, Draco had become quite moody. Rightfully so, in some aspects. Harry did name Lucius Malfoy as a member of Voldemort's minions. And she could see why that upset Draco. But his renewed hatred toward Harry was preposterous. Draco's father _was _a Death Eater, and no amount of anger toward the messenger was going to change that.

"I'm going to find my sister." She announced.

She didn't know why, but Daphne was all she wanted in that moment. Daphne and the Slytherin compartments. Where other Slytherins would be. Not any Slytherin in particular of course. Just… Slytherins.

It wasn't until she was well on her way toward her sister that she questioned where the Slytherins usually sat. Astoria had never been in that vicinity of the Hogwarts Express before. In fact, she had no clue where that place may be.

And then, it didn't matter. Slytherins were barging down the corridor, angry and determined.

"Move out of our way, girly." Crabbe barked. Astoria flattened herself against the wall, allowing them to walk three abreast past her. Draco's façade altered for a moment, and she could see the apology in his eyes. But his pride was at stake, and that meant she was just another nameless face for his cronies to bully.

Anger burned inside her.

"Oi!"

They turned around. Crabbe and Goyle both looked startled, but Draco's face held fear.

"Your dads are Death Eaters, then? Does that mean I have to respect you and let you boss me around?" She wasn't yelling, but she felt out of breath as she spoke. She had never imagined speaking so freely of Death Eaters like this, but the words kept on coming. "It doesn't. It doesn't mean anything. Your dads could be professors, healers, Death Eaters, or Ministry officials. That holds nothing in regards to you. I will not stand here and have _you _tell me what to do!"

"And," she continued, "What are you three anyways? _Cowards_. Running around like you have to prove anything. No one will take you seriously like this. Not one person, Dra—"

She stopped herself. This was all for Draco, and not because she wanted their respect. That's when she realized even she didn't want people to know that she was slowly falling for Draco Malfoy. He looked so innocent when it was just them. Not this angry, snarling, rude person he was now.

That innocence was starting to come out the more she looked at him now. His grey eyes were wide, his blonde hair disheveled, his perfectly pressed suit buttoned to the top like a little businessman. His lips—he kissed her once with those lips—hung slightly apart, like he wanted to speak to her but couldn't.

Astoria's anger died. Draco's situation was bigger than she could comprehend. She knew that. His father _was _a Death Eater. Draco was not, but his life was surrounded by it nonetheless.

She tried to send him an apology, but she wasn't quite sure just how one intentionally made their eyes look sorry.

"Why don't the two of you head on while I deal with this_._" Draco practically whispered the command to his supposed friends. Once the two were gone, he approached her.

Astoria's heart began to pound. How angry was he now, and was there any way she could disappear? He was about a head taller than her, looming over her like a shady tree. She hadn't been that close to Draco since the last task of the Triwizard Tournament.

Draco's face was inches from hers. He looked like steel, smooth and hard. Astoria could not decide if he was angry or upset or vengeful, but all the same, she wasn't backing down now.

"I meant what I said." She began. "You aren't your father, and his actions are not yours. And I know that you are about to seek out revenge on Harry, but that is not the answer. I know you know it too."

He wasn't even blinking. She felt a lump catch in her throat. "I will not be treated like that by you or your friends again. I won't stand for—"

His lips were on hers, his arms swiftly wrapping around her body, pulling her closer. She reacted almost instantly, pulling him down to her. The feel of his mouth was just as warming as the last time, even better really. She could feel his heart beating against her own, their chests smushed together. She forgot everything she wanted to say, and although that upset her, she let them have that private moment together. When Draco broke apart, she missed the _thump-thump _of his heart.

"I will never treat you like you are nothing." Draco said. "You're right; I'm not my father. But right now, with the way things are going, I will not publically attach you to me or my family's name. I can't."

She nodded as tears began to pool in Draco's eyes. Maybe he was right to keep quiet.

"But I also will not tolerate any more shame toward my family. Therefore I will be entering Potter's compartment with the intention of reminding him just how wrong he is to threaten my family."

"Draco, please…" He looked at her sternly.

"No. I won't stand by as an idle party letting him think he's a hotshot celebrity."

She sighed. There was nothing she could do. No words would help her now. "Fine, but when this backfires, I will be laughing."

He smirked, and Astoria felt a wave of relief pass over her as he teased her back. "I'm sorry then. Because I'm afraid I will be depriving you of any victory laughter. This will not backfire, Astoria. I know it won't."

And he left her. He looked back only once, showed off his perfect teeth as he smiled wide. Astoria had forgotten where she was headed originally, her fears from before starting to fade.

* * *

The train lurched to a stop. Astoria quickly hugged Alex and the Creevey brothers. Her excitement exploded tenfold as she stepped onto the platform in King's Landing. Her parents were waiting for her toward the back.

"My darling!" Her mother hugged her close, simply at ease in the wizarding environment. Her father, on the other hand, hugged her without a word. He stood, staring at all the chaos around them.

"Relax, Richard." Mrs. Greengrass linked arms with her muggle husband. "You stick out more when you stare like that."

"Dad, why don't you take my things out to the car while Mum and I wait for Daphne?" Astoria tried. Her father was quite at ease at home, but when he was thrust into the wizard community, he lost sight of what was appropriate social behavior. Once he had poked an older wizard right on the nose. Mr. Greengrass had thought that the man had sprouted a new one after he had overheard the wizard say he had to grow back the bone when a spell went awry.

"That, my smart Tori, is an excellent idea."

"Astoria." She corrected. She had an alternative reason for wanting her father in the car, and that was her letter. After Draco had kissed her, Astoria knew she didn't want to wait three months to see him and talk. So she had returned to her compartment and wrote him a letter. She wrote her address and explained the muggle mailing system as best she could. Her parents had agreed to use owls as little as possible in their muggle neighborhood, and Astoria hoped Draco would comply.

She just had to get him the letter without her parents or sister realizing, and if her father was out of the way, Astoria only had to worry about the other two.

Mr. Greengrass left with her trunk, and Astoria's mother quickly pounced. "I haven't told him anything about You-Know-Who. I did mention the student death, however, and blamed it entirely on the brutal tournament. If—Merlin help us—if He is back, then I might have to tell your father all the dark secrets of our world."

"I do think that he is back, Mum. I can't imagine that student's death to be an accident. I told you I saw…" She took a deep breath. "I saw him. It was awful, Mum."

The older woman wrapped a long arm around her.

Together they waited until most of the crowd had dispersed. Daphne tended to wait until there were few witnesses to see her leave. Astoria hated her sister's cowardice, but that was her way of avoiding her Slytherin friends' wrath.

There were about twenty or so left standing around, including train workers, when Daphne arrived.

"Where's Dad?" She asked, her dark hair braided down her back. She looked well-rested, which was rare for her on the train.

"He said he couldn't wait for his prissy daughter to arrive and left." Astoria said.

"Oh, really, Tori? Real mature."

"Astoria!"

"Stop it you two!"

"Where is my SON!?"

The last one had not been her sister nor her mother, so Astoria turned her gaze toward a very tall and lean woman trying to board the train.

"HEXED?!" She shouted when one of the crew muttered something to her. She was really a beautiful woman. She had blonde hair and was dressed in what looked to be very expensive black robes. Her features were very rigid, making her a bit frightening to look at.

Soon her son as being escorted out of the train. Astoria could see the angry looking welts all over Draco's skin as he was returned to his mother. The tall woman immediately began fussing all over him and demanding that they present her with a healer at once. Draco pushed her hands away, but she insisted.

"Just a moment." Astoria's own mother muttered. She walked right on over to Mrs. Malfoy. "Narcissa? My name is Fiona Greengrass, and I am a healer at St. Mungo's."

Draco's mother stood straight. He spotted Astoria then, and Astoria felt herself blush as her mother examined him.

"What an idiot." Daphne muttered to Astoria. In turn, Astoria smiled. She may like Draco, but her sister had a point. And she had warned him that his plan would backfire. She started to laugh as she had promised, which brought everyone's attention to her.

"Sorry!" She choked through her giggles. Draco looked ridiculously uncomfortable, and she couldn't help but laugh harder.

Daphne reddened at the attention coming their way. She picked up her things and walked straight toward the wall, strutting through it, and shouting back, "I'm going to find Dad."

Astoria reached inside her pocket and felt her letter. Only her mother remained. Well her mother and Narcissa Malfoy.

But that obstacle resolved itself. Mrs. Malfoy had taken full advantage of her own mother's healer status and had walked ahead of her son and Astoria, hounding Mrs. Greengrass with questions. The women disappeared beyond the wall, and Astoria quickly slipped her letter into Draco's pocket.

"What's this?" He asked.

"Just read it." She responded. She looked around, determined it was safe, and lightly pressed a kiss to Draco's cheek. "I hope to see you soon."

Astoria exited Platform 9 ¾ with a smile on her face.


End file.
